Watched a show just now on Australia TV, here in Hong Kong which ran the story of the recent UN Human Rights Council criticism of Australia's human rights. I found this a little absurd -- what a gall! -- and posted this on the Abc.net site:
The UN Human Rights Council, which makes these 145 (!) recommendations to Australia, is made up of 47 countries, most of whom you wouldn't trust to give you "recommendations" on how to butter your toast, let alone how to improve your human rights record. China, anyone? Bangladesh? Pakistan? Saudi Arabia? Cuba? The list of the dubious goes on....
There are but a small handful of these 47 that would, or should, have any standing on this issue.
As an Aussie living in Asia for the past 35 years, I see Australia a little from afar: as a basically decent, fair-go sort of place that ought to rely on its own innate sense of justice and dignity for its inhabitants -- and its would-be immigrants -- to guide its actions. Not on the self-righteous "recommendations" of a UN Council the membership of which is dodgy and deeply compromised, such that the name "Human Rights" it goes by is simply risible.
The UN Human Rights Council, which makes these 145 (!) recommendations to Australia, is made up of 47 countries, most of whom you wouldn't trust to give you "recommendations" on how to butter your toast, let alone how to improve your human rights record. China, anyone? Bangladesh? Pakistan? Saudi Arabia? Cuba? The list of the dubious goes on....
There are but a small handful of these 47 that would, or should, have any standing on this issue.
As an Aussie living in Asia for the past 35 years, I see Australia a little from afar: as a basically decent, fair-go sort of place that ought to rely on its own innate sense of justice and dignity for its inhabitants -- and its would-be immigrants -- to guide its actions. Not on the self-righteous "recommendations" of a UN Council the membership of which is dodgy and deeply compromised, such that the name "Human Rights" it goes by is simply risible.
